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Since the start of the U.S. war on terror, the United States has backed various militias and rebels in the Middle East and Central Asia. Using proxies has allowed the U.S. to reduce its own troop deployments and benefit from the local knowledge of indigenous armed groups. However, these partnerships carry significant diplomatic, human rights, reputational, and tactical risks. Gaston’s book explores case studies of these relationships in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, examining how U.S. policymakers manage these risks. Has support for proxies been a success, failure, or something in between? Can proxies truly be managed? And are the risks worth the potential benefits?
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